On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I will be making drawings for a book called 100 People I Saw At The Editions/Artists’ Books Fair. The book will contain 99 people I saw during these three days. Once the drawings are completed I will print the book, in an edition of 100 to be available on Sunday at noon. The book will be available for purchase at the Esopus table (#59) at the fair. The book will cost $20. If you choose to purchase a book, you will be drawn in your copy, completing the project and becoming the 100th person in the book.
I will be there to pick up the book and have Jason drawn my picture. You should too.
My first book, Domesticated, will finally be arriving in a couple of weeks. I've lived with this sucker for a long time now, sequencing and resequencing, editing and reediting, designing and redesigning, and then waiting and waiting while it was being printed in China. During the wait, the book managed to win the Photography Book Award at the New York Photo Festival. And now, it's only a matter of days. Yah!
The book features twenty-six images from my Domesticated series as well an essay by the great Alison Nordström of George Eastman House. You will be able to purchase the book through Amazon, photo-eye, and everywhere fine photography books are sold.
I will also be giving away some signed copies on my blog, so stay tuned!
Last week Andy Adams of Flak Photo fame was in New York and we finally got a chance to chat in person. Andy is a great guy and Flak Photo is proving to be an indispensable source for great photography content.
This month Flak Photo has been highlighting work from the photo book, Hijacked, Volume One. You definitely need to get your hands on a copy of Hijacked because it is gorgeous (and because I'm in it!). If you are looking for some additional motivation to purchase Hijacked, go to Flak Photo now to get a taste of some of the work featured in the book.
Blindnessand The Road are two of the best books I've read in, well, ever. Both books are being made into major motion pictures to be released this year. I am excited and nervous as all hell. On paper bothmovies look pretty good, but you never know with these things. Fernando Meirelles and John Hillcoat, I beg you not to fuck these up.
Mark McPherson has been quite the hustler and has managed to set up book launches and exhibitions in New York, Berlin and Australia. The video below is from ABC Australia about the exhibit at The Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney.
The wonderful image above was created by Anneke Joris. Anneke sent me a nice note and said she was inspired by my photo, Howl. I love that someone in Belgium can see my work online and be moved to create their own fantastic piece of art. Thank you Interweb!
Darius Himes reminds me about the Blurb photo book competition, Photography Book Now. Photo books have never mattered more to an artist and even if you don't win it would be wise to get your work in front of such a solid lineup of jurors.
In other art news, the 2008 School of Visual Arts MFA Photo, Video and Related Media thesis show opens today at the Visual Arts Gallery. It's another great year and a great opportunity to see young talent before they hit it big. Keep an eye out for Allison Kaufman's very moving Dancing With Divorced Men piece and Alison Malone's ethereal The Daughters of Job.
I was in New York City just long enough to catch my breath and now I am in Syracuse starting my month long artist-in-residence with Light Work.
Berlin was a blast and I owe many thanks to Sascha, Silke, Tim and Elisa at Pool Gallery for their endless generosity during my stay. I had a great time hanging with Dylan Chatain, Robert Lyons and meeting Mark McPherson at the Hijacked book launch and exhibition at Neunplus. The Berlin scene is like everything you've heard only better. I can't wait to go back.
Also, I am very pleased to announce my third solo show of the year (wtf?) begins June 12 at the Robert Koch Gallery in San Francisco. This one, like the others before was sudden and unexpected. That sounds wonderful, but it is tough business trying to prepare for a show with only a couple of weeks notice.
Here are the details on the show:
Amy Stein | New American Fables Robert Koch Gallery June 12 - August 23 49 Geary Street, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA Opening Reception: July 3, 5:30-7:30pm
I am leaving this morning for a week in Berlin to see my show at Pool Gallery and attend the book launch and exhibition of Hijacked at Neunplus. After that I will be meeting my husband in Italy for a needed week away from all things photo. When I return to the states I go immediately to Syracuse for my month long Light Work residency and then to San Francisco for the opening of my solo show at the Robert Koch Gallery. Between Syracuse and San Francisco I will be in Chicago for the opening of Beyond the Backyard at the Museum of Contemporary Photography.
It's all very exciting, but the idea of being away from home for so long is freaking me out.
Last night was surreal. 400 people packed into a little piece of elegance in a warehouse in DUMBO. A cellist plucking maudlin stings as a series of presenters, photographs and winners flashed before the crowd. And then Martin Parr announcing the nominees for the Photography Book award.
"And the winner is...Amy Stein."
Strange and wonderful things happening at the New York Photo Festival.
New York City is thick with photographers and photo related sorts right now as the New York Photo Festival gets under way. A ton of festival related events are going on, but I will be hiding away printing for a big solo show I will announce very soon.
If you want to enter the eye of the photo storm and attend one event I suggest Book Soup. Never before have so many photographers with books been assembled in a single room. And they all have pens! My very dear friends Juliana Beasley and her book Lapdancer and Rachel Papo and her book Serial No. 3817131 will be part of the action. Buy their books and get them signed. Here are the details:
Book Soup A Photography Panel Discussion and Book Signing Event
Thursday, May 15, 2008 Panel Discussion: 8–9pm St Ann’s Warehouse 38 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Book Signing: 9–10pm The powerHouse Arena 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
A couple of weeks back Patrick Romero sent me a copy of his self published book, 28 Famous Views of Los Angeles. I have been so busy of late that I haven't had an opportunity to write about it until now.
Patrick's book is a short but wonderful stroll through a Los Angeles that exists someplace between popular legend, personal myth and fading reality. The images perfectly capture the hazy beauty and vague temporality of the city and I would hope a smart L.A. gallerist out there would contact Patrick and show these little gems ASAP.
UPDATE: If you want your own copy of 28 Famous Views of Los Angelessend Patrick an email. The book is a steal at $20 and supplies are limited, so chop chop.
The good folks at Pool Gallery were kind enough to send me some installation shots from my New American Fables show that is up right now. In related news, yesterday I booked a ticket to Berlin so I can see the show in person and catch the Hijacked book launch and exhibition at Neunplus. Ich bin ein Berliner!
This Thursday Jessica Dimmock's The Ninth Floor opens at Foley Gallery this Thursday. If you haven't seen Jessica's work yet check out the show or pick up her book. You will be hard pressed not to be effected by the work. Anna Sirota is a student of mine from Parsons. She was moved by the images from The Ninth Floor and approached me about writing a review of the book on my blog. I am a big fan of writing about your own work and the work of others, so I was happy to oblige.
Here's Anna's review:
The drug epidemic in America has escalated to an all time high. People all over the country are falling into the abyss of addiction and the war on drugs is an endless and seemingly hopeless endeavor. Many feel disconcerted and disgusted with the idea of injecting a lethal chemical into their veins, but the importance of recognizing and discussing the emotional pain and suffering that addicts experience on a daily basis is the way to initiate change.
Jessica Dimmock’s “The Ninth Floor” is a hauntingly uneasy documentation of young heroin addicts living in squalor. Jessica successfully captured the stale, dismal atmosphere of the space, once a representation of beauty and class. The vacancy disintegration of each of her subjects is palpable. Through a muted color scheme and a straightforward snap-shot perspective, Jessica Dimmock evokes feelings of sadness and sympathy. The images are genuinely disturbing and impossible to be ignored. If this book is not a cause for reflection, then nothing can be.
Here are the details on the show:
Jessica Dimmock | The Ninth Floor Foley Gallery 547 W 27th Street, 5th floor New York, NY 10001 Apr 17 - May 31, 2008 Opening reception: Apr 17, 6 - 8 PM
Jeff Wall will be speaking and signing copies of his latest book, Jeff Wall: Works and Collected Writings, at the Strand Bookstore this Friday. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the giants of contemporary photography. Get the details here.
There is a ton of good stuff happening in the photography world these days, or at least that's what one would believe judging by my feed aggregator and inbox. Each week I am going to do a roundup of some of the more interesting projects, opportunities and announcements I have come across. There is a lot of crap in the world, but the good news is...
Juliana Beasley is one of my favorite photographers and one of my favorite people. She continues to knock it out of the park with her work and the world is starting to take notice in a big way. Her new series, Eyes of Salamanca, was just awarded second place in Prix de la Photographie'sHuman Condition competition. Well deserved recognition of stunning work.
The title of one of my favorite albums by Talking Heads is now the title of a great new book project from photographer/prolific blogger, Shane Lavalette, and Karly Wildenhaus. They are currently seeking submissions from photographers who would like to be featured in the first volume of Remain in Light. You can get all the details about the book and submission information here.
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the power of the book for emerging photographers. Having your work featured in book form can be a huge personal validation and a heck of a promotional tool. Photographer initiated projects like Remain in Light and Pause, to Begin have sparked a kernel of a big book idea that I would like to pursue after things quiet down a bit in the next couple of months. I will keep you posted as it starts to take shape.
Last night we attended the Alessandra Sanguinetti artist talk at Aperture Gallery. Alessandra is very smart in how she approaches, executes and talks about her work and I took away a lot from the evening.
While at Aperture I leafed through a copy of their new Josef Koudelka career-spanning book, Koudelka. How could one person have taken so many iconic images? It is all so good it almost makes me want to throw in the towel. I mean, how do you aspire to be a great cello player after hearing Pablo Casals play Bach's Suites for Cello? And how do you aspire to take amazing pictures after Mr. Koudelka has given the world The Hound?
I tend to think that I have the photography landscape pretty much surveyed. Boy, was I wrong. I just discovered the work of Terry Falke and this image from his book, Observations in an Occupied Wilderness, and my mind was subsequently blown.
Yesterday I came home to find two packages at my front door. Inside the first package was a signed copy of Jeongmee Yoon's new Pink & Blue Project monograph. The book is published by the Geonhi Art Foundation and includes an essay by Art in America editor, Richard Vine. It's simply stunning. Jeongmee is a dear friend and a fellow SVA MFA grad and I couldn't be more proud of her continued success. If you would like to order a copy of her monograph, you can contact Jeongmee directly.
The second package contained another great gift from the talented, Jason Polan. Jason was very kind to send me a copy of his The Every Piece of Art in the Museum of Modern Art Book. The book is an amusingly exhaustive inventory of every piece of art in MOMA drawn in Jason's unique and lively style. If you want to order a copy of this, or any of Jason's fabulous work, just give him a shout.
We just got to Madrid yesterday morning and hit the ground running with photo openings and delicious wines and cheeses. Most of the time when travel I suffer from serious jetlag that throws me off for most of the trip. This time I decided to take some Ambien to get my clock right, right off the bat. Voila! It´s like my husband says, America is great at two things these days: making bombs to blow things up and making pills to slow things down.
By the way, just got word that I was selected for the Critical Mass book prize and will have a monograph of my Domesticated work published some time in the next year or so. So awesome!
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